Score: Houghton College 108, Elmira College 103 (OT)
Records: Houghton College (4-21, 1-15 E8), Elmira (4-21, 2-14 E8)
Location: Elmira, N.Y. -- Speidel Gymnasium

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Less than 24 hours after downing the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology in an exciting Empire 8 Conference win, the Elmira College men's basketball team was outlasted in a shootout against Houghton College, 108-103, in the 2017-18 season finale at Speidel Gymnasium.

The Soaring Eagles eclipsed 100 points in a game for the fourth time this season and did so with another bombardment of 3-point shots. Of EC's 80 attempted field goals, a whopping 42 were taken from beyond the arc, and the Purple and Gold converted at a rate of 40.5 percent for a season-high 17 treys. The Highlanders, who recorded a 57.7 field-goal percentage (41-of-71), tossed 24 3-pointers and made 11, just one shy of their season-high.

It was a track meet from the start. Down by two, Elmira knocked down three unanswered 3-pointers, one each from Hayden Harkins '18, Jesse Adelson '20 and Kyle McCreery '20, which vaulted the Soaring Eagles in a 19-13 lead. Although the Highlanders responded with an and-one and a Jordan Holmes trey to even the score, Mason Weir '21 answered with another 3-pointer 10 seconds later to put EC back on top, 22-19.

Houghton regained the lead and held onto it for most of the first half, although a mini 5-0 run with an Adelson trey and a Harkins jumper gave the Soaring Eagles a slim advantage, 50-49, with a little over a minute left in the half. Dylan Lambert ended the period with a pair of fouls shots that gave Houghton a 51-50 edge of EC at the break.

It looked as though the Highlanders would run away with the game in the second half, as the visitors pulled ahead by as many as 10 points, 79-69, on a Carl Holmes steal and score. Elmira chipped away at the deficit by draining 3-pointers on their next three possessions. Trailing 88-80, EC tallied eight consecutive points from to level the score. The rally was fueled by a strong performance from the line, with Justin Porrett '19, Jeremy Every '20 and Adelson each going 2-for-2 in that span. Every then deposited a layup to make it an 88-88 contest.

A key missed free throw by Houghton nearly proved to be fatal, as Lambert missed the second of his two attempts with 20 seconds to play. That kept the difference at one possession, 93-90, and Harkins delivered a clutch 3-pointer to force the extra session. Jordan Holmes tried to win it in regulation with a last-second layup but was called for a charge with 2.2 seconds left in the second half.

While EC made its first four field goals in overtime, the Soaring Eagles ended the extra session by missing five consecutive shots. Cody Johnson netted the game-winning points with a basket that broke a 103-all tie, and the Highlanders made good on three of their four free throws for insurance.

Adelson and Backus paced Elmira with 22 and 20 points, respectively, with 18 of Adelson's points coming off of distance shots. Every (19), Harkins (18) and Weir (14) also reached double-figures. Credit must be given to Porrett, who fueled the offensive explosion with 18 assists, just one shy of the program record he set earlier this season.

News and Notes

• Elmira concluded the 2017-18 season with a 4-21 overall record and a 2-14 mark against E8 foes.
• The Soaring Eagles increased their points-per-game average by exactly 20.0 points this season to 82.1, up from 62.1 in 2016-17.
• Saturday's game was the fourth of the year in which EC scored 100-plus points.
• Backus followed his career-best 21-point outing from Friday's win over Stevens with 20 points against the Highlanders.
• Adelson connected on a season-high six 3-pointers, which resulted in his second-highest scoring output of the year with 22 points.
• With a career-best 78 3-pointers as a senior, Harkins finished third on EC's single-season leaderboard.
• Harkins will graduate with 256 career 3-point field goals to his name, just three shy of the all-time record held by Josh Keys '14 (259).
• Porrett added to his single-season program record with 18 more dimes against Houghton, upping his total to 212. Porrett finished the regular-season with the most assists in all of Division III, but runner-up Jack Daley (211) of Middlebury College will have an opportunity to pass him in the postseason.
• Porrett's career assist count is at 417, second-most in Elmira history and 71 shy of record-holder Reggie Rollins '88 (488).
• As a team, EC broke the season record for most treys with 242, topping the former mark of 230 set just two seasons ago by the 2015-16 edition of the Purple and Gold (230).